Passenger found alive on Greece-Italy ferry after blaze, 11 still missing

AFP

Firefighters battling a blaze on a ferry sailing from Greece to Italy discovered a survivor on the stern of the still burning vessel on Sunday, the Greek coast guard said, reviving hopes that other missing passengers could still be found alive.

Rescuers managed to take at least 281 out of 292 passengers and crew to safety after the blaze broke out on the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia early on Friday, but 11 people are still missing, according to the coast guard and ferry operator.

Firefighters have been trying for days to contain the fire and cool scorching temperatures on the 183-metre ship to allow emergency crews to board and rescue any survivors. The authorities have not announced a death toll.

"Firefighters are still battling the fire and crews are searching for more people," the fire brigade said.

The cause of the blaze is still being investigated and a prosecutor has launched an inquiry, according to coast guard officials.

The ferry had been on its way to the Italian port of Brindisi from Igoumenitsa in Greece. Many of the passengers were truck owners or drivers transporting goods through Europe.

The man rescued on Sunday was from Belarus, according to the coast guard, while those still missing are Bulgarian, Turkish and Greek nationals.

Reuters footage showed rescuers climbing up a stepladder to the vessel after a tug boat towed it closer to the shore.

"Since one person is rescued, we are optimistic that more survivors can be found," Greek coastguard spokesman Nikos Alexiou told Skai TV.

Aerial footage released by the Greek coastguard on Friday showed rows of burnt trucks on the blackened deck after flames engulfed the ship. The ferry was carrying 153 vehicles, the company said.

A group of truck drivers who survived the ordeal arrived back in Bulgaria in the early hours of Sunday.

"Once we were in the boats we saw the huge flames. Everything burned, the losses are big, but I am glad we are alive and we will see our families," truck driver Rumen Cholakov told Bulgarian Nova TV.

More from International News

  • Thousands of Australians without power as cyclone Alfred hits

    Hundreds of thousands of people in Australia's Queensland state were without power on Sunday after Alfred, a downgraded tropical cyclone, brought damaging winds and heavy rains, sparking flood warnings.

  • Israeli airstrike kills two in southern Gaza

    An Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on Saturday, medical sources said, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend a shaky 42-day ceasefire agreed in January between Israel and Hamas.

  • 12 people injured in Toronto pub shooting

    Toronto Police said early on Saturday they were searching for three male suspects in a shooting that injured at least 12 people at a pub in the Canadian city.

  • Cyclone Alfred downgraded as millions stay indoors

    Ex-tropical cyclone Alfred lingered off the south-east Australian coast on Saturday and forecasters said Brisbane is likely to miss the worst of the storm, a relief for millions of residents in the region who have been staying indoors.